I didn’t need to see any signs to know we had arrived. I peered out my window and saw neat rows of tall gleaming apartment buildings that almost didn’t look real. I was immediately reminded of Miami, though there was an air about things that also reminded me of Europe. Everything was white, modern, pristine, and expensive looking. It felt like a world away from the decaying sidewalks and congestion I had just left in Buenos Aires. The air was fresh, the grass green, and the ocean (not chocolate-colored river) omnipresent. I was excited for a long weekend out of the city and after a six-hour voyage between cabs, boats, and buses, I had finally arrived in what is known as the Hampton’s of South America – Punta del Este, Uruguay. Read the rest of this entry »